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Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell you
Read by hand. We read West Grey's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.
Ontario / West GreyUpdated Oct 5, 2026

Your town, in plain words

How West Grey uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to West Grey's budget, taxes and council decisions. A municipality of about 13,100 people in Southwestern Ontario. Every figure links back to the public record.

Your typical 2024 property tax bill$3,170on a $230K home60% Town29% County11% SchoolsSee your tax bill explained →
Town spending, 2024$19.1MAbout $3,099 per household, up 8.3% from 2023.See the money →
Property tax change+10.1%West Grey's own property tax came to $14.8M in 2024, against $13.5M in 2023.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Police, fire and safety$6.6M · 34%
Roads and snow$5.4M · 28%
Running the town office$2.4M · 12%
Parks, arena and library$2.3M · 12%
Show all 7 servicesShow fewer
Water, sewers and garbage$2.1M · 11%
Planning and business$320K · 2%
Health$83,353 · 0%

Day-to-day spending in 2024, from West Grey's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does West Grey compare?Among 81 similar Ontario towns, West Grey's day-to-day spending per household is near the middle.West Grey is here · 35 of 81, lowest to highestCompare West Grey →

Questions worth asking

A closer look at the numbers.

Each one is a question, not an accusation. Every one lists ordinary reasons it could be true, and the documents it comes from.

All 9 questions
Worth askingMoney health

Why did the auditor give West Grey's 2023 statements a qualified opinion?

$425,721landfill closure and post-closure liability on the 2023 statements, which the auditor says it could not check against the new rule

Each year an outside accounting firm checks the Municipality's yearly financial statements and says whether they are fair. For 2023 the firm said they are fair "except for" one matter. A qualified opinion is a middle step: it is not the clean opinion, and it is not the worst one. The matter is a new accounting rule the Municipality had not finished applying. The statements also show a landfill cleanup liability of $425,721, and the auditor says the real amount could not be worked out.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources

Worth askingOpenness

Why were the 2023 statements signed in February 2025, and where are the 2024 statements?

February 4, 2025date of the auditor's report on the year ended December 31, 2023

The auditor signed the report on the year ended December 31, 2023 on February 4, 2025, more than a year after the year ended. On October 5, 2026 the Municipality's page of audited statements listed 2023 as the newest year. We did not find 2024 statements on it.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

Worth askingRising costs

Why did West Grey spend $5,716,062 on capital in 2023 when it budgeted $14,294,722?

$14,294,722budgeted for capital assets in 2023, against $5,716,062 actually bought

Capital means roads, bridges, buildings and equipment that last many years. The 2023 budget in the statements planned to buy $14,294,722 of these and the Municipality bought $5,716,062. The budget also planned for net debt of $5,103,716 at the end of the year; the actual was net financial assets (money and claims on others, less what is owed) of $3,711,372. We found no explanation in the statements for the gap, other than a note on commitments.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

Worth askingSpending level

Why did West Grey's own tax levy go up 11.4 percent for 2025?

11.4 percenttotal increase in West Grey's own tax levy for 2025 (9.9 operating plus 1.5 capital)

The levy is the part of the property tax bill that West Grey keeps (the rest goes to Grey County and to schools). The staff report on the 2025 budget says the Municipality's levy rose 9.9 percent for operating costs and 1.5 percent for capital, a total local increase of 11.4 percent. The Municipality says the total tax bill, with county and school taxes, was expected to rise 8.6 percent. The budget page says the 2024 levy rose by $1,274,504.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources

Show 5 more questionsShow fewer
Worth askingMoney health

Does West Grey have enough saved for repairs and emergencies?

$8.7Min savings at the end of 2024

Towns keep savings (called reserves) to pay for new trucks, roof repairs and surprises. West Grey had $8.7M saved at the end of 2024, up from $7.9M in 2019. That is 46% of one year's spending. Only 9 of 80 similar towns had less, compared with what they spend.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources

Good to knowMoney health

Why did West Grey's savings (reserves) fall in 2023?

$8,377,339reserves and reserve funds at the end of 2023, down from $9,081,825 a year before

Reserves are money council sets aside for a purpose, such as replacing a fire truck. The 2023 statements show reserves and reserve funds of $8,377,339, down from $9,081,825 the year before: a fall of $704,486 (worked out by us).

Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source

Good to knowSpending level

Why is West Grey's 2026 budget smaller than its 2025 budget?

$28.55 milliontotal 2026 capital and operating budget, against $33.69 million for 2025 (both as the Municipality words them, "just over")

The Municipality's budget page puts the 2026 total capital and operating budget at just over $28.55 million and the 2025 total at just over $33.69 million. We could not read the 2026 budget report, so we cannot say where the drop is. The 2025 staff report says the 2025 capital budget included finishing the new police station, which may be part of it.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

Good to knowMoney health

What could the claims against West Grey cost, beyond insurance?

Not statedthe 2023 statements say the liability for these claims "is not determinable at this time"

Note 21 to the 2023 statements says the Municipality has been named in a number of claims being handled through its insurance company, and that the amount it could owe is not known. It says management believes its insurance is enough. The note does not say how many claims, how big, or what they are about.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source

2024 tax year · West Grey, Ontario

Your tax bill, worked out.

Enter your home's assessed value to see roughly what you pay in property tax each year, who gets it, and what West Grey's share pays for.

Ontario still uses property values from January 1, 2016 for tax, so your assessed value is probably well below what your home would sell for today.

It is on your property assessment notice from MPAC, and on your tax bill. We filled in the typical value in West Grey.

Source

a year in property tax, at 2024 rates

  • West Grey
  • County or region
  • Schools

West Grey council sets only its own share. County or region sets its share, the Province sets the school rate.

See what your West Grey share pays forHide the breakdown

Roughly what your West Grey share pays for

Source
  • Police, fire and safety
  • Roads and snow
  • Running the town office
  • Parks, arena and library
  • Planning and business

An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits West Grey's share by what each service cost in 2024 after its own fees and grants (for example, water bills pay for much of a water system). Real bills also depend on your property class, local charges and any rebates.

  • Every fact, sourced

    Each number links to the public document it came from. Check it yourself.

  • No accusations

    We ask questions. Every one lists ordinary reasons a number could look odd.

  • Compared fairly

    Towns are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.

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